Beautiful post Zakia. By any chance have you read Aisha Tyler's memoir? Similar lunch experiences but Bay Area version 😊. To study Japanese cuisine and its history is a revelation that stays with you.
Thank you Regina! I have not read Aisha Tyler’s memoir but I like her. Thank you for the recommendation! I’ll get a copy! Do you have a favorite Japanese food or dish you like to eat/prepare?
It isn't a particular dish so much as the techniques I have incorporated. And it is always something that seems minor that makes a major difference. It is the sensibility behind Japanese cuisine that blows me away.
Super cute story. Sounds like Noah’s stories of his lunch: bean sprouts with cheddar or tofu and mustard. I had to make my own lunch and those were super weird cause I too only had multigrain bread and no “American snacks”.
I had that exact same sandwich as Noah, mustard and cheddar. The kids have been eating lots of rice and eggs in the morning. I remember how you talked about how simple and satisfying it is. No American snacks lol!
PB&J sandwiches are up there on the list of all-around comfort food favorites! It’s the nostalgia and they’re just good! On the other hand I do remember seeing Public School lunch versions of PB&J that consisted of a solid disc of peanut butter in the center of the bread with a super stingy amount of jelly, like silver dollar size stingy, on top of the PB disc. That’s just cruel.
I see your tofu and bean sprout sandwiches and raise you vegemite and alpha alpha sprout sandwiches extracted from a plastic lunchbox having sat in a humid, partially covered NZ school breezeway for the 2.5 hours before lunchtime. At leat tofu is filling! Where were you when I was in 2nd grade Zakia!?
Wowowowow vegemite and alfalfa sprouts! Jo I think we need to recreate the sandwiches of our childhood! We absolutely would have made good lunch mates back in the day! You know I’ve actually never had vegemite. How do you recommend I try it?
I grew up in Kansas. When my father left, my mom would put one piece of roast in a roasting pan with about a million pinto beans. The meat would flavor the beans and we would eat beans all week, long after the meat was gone. I love pinto beans to this day! I cook them from dry often!
A million pinto beans sounds like the title/writing prompt to an essay about family and food (hint, hint). I’ve been trying out lots of different types of beans out here to varying results. A lot of them I just buy because I like how they look. Right now I’ve got a batch of black-eyed peas soaking overnight to prepare tomorrow. Black-eyed peas are definitely it my top five.
Thank you Catherine! You’re right it is harder to get hearty multigrain bread here but I do also admit I absolutely love, maybe even too much, shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread)!
Beautiful post Zakia. By any chance have you read Aisha Tyler's memoir? Similar lunch experiences but Bay Area version 😊. To study Japanese cuisine and its history is a revelation that stays with you.
Thank you Regina! I have not read Aisha Tyler’s memoir but I like her. Thank you for the recommendation! I’ll get a copy! Do you have a favorite Japanese food or dish you like to eat/prepare?
It isn't a particular dish so much as the techniques I have incorporated. And it is always something that seems minor that makes a major difference. It is the sensibility behind Japanese cuisine that blows me away.
what a gift for mother gave you and I wonder how it's helped you slide so easily between cultures as an adult. ..umeboshi onigiri - my favorite too!
Aww thanks Ali! You’re right. I think we are more open cultures different than our own if we can share a meal together and or appreciate the cuisine!
Super cute story. Sounds like Noah’s stories of his lunch: bean sprouts with cheddar or tofu and mustard. I had to make my own lunch and those were super weird cause I too only had multigrain bread and no “American snacks”.
I had that exact same sandwich as Noah, mustard and cheddar. The kids have been eating lots of rice and eggs in the morning. I remember how you talked about how simple and satisfying it is. No American snacks lol!
I know I must have failed somewhere. I can live on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with potato chips as a side dish.
PB&J sandwiches are up there on the list of all-around comfort food favorites! It’s the nostalgia and they’re just good! On the other hand I do remember seeing Public School lunch versions of PB&J that consisted of a solid disc of peanut butter in the center of the bread with a super stingy amount of jelly, like silver dollar size stingy, on top of the PB disc. That’s just cruel.
I see your tofu and bean sprout sandwiches and raise you vegemite and alpha alpha sprout sandwiches extracted from a plastic lunchbox having sat in a humid, partially covered NZ school breezeway for the 2.5 hours before lunchtime. At leat tofu is filling! Where were you when I was in 2nd grade Zakia!?
Wowowowow vegemite and alfalfa sprouts! Jo I think we need to recreate the sandwiches of our childhood! We absolutely would have made good lunch mates back in the day! You know I’ve actually never had vegemite. How do you recommend I try it?
I grew up in Kansas. When my father left, my mom would put one piece of roast in a roasting pan with about a million pinto beans. The meat would flavor the beans and we would eat beans all week, long after the meat was gone. I love pinto beans to this day! I cook them from dry often!
A million pinto beans sounds like the title/writing prompt to an essay about family and food (hint, hint). I’ve been trying out lots of different types of beans out here to varying results. A lot of them I just buy because I like how they look. Right now I’ve got a batch of black-eyed peas soaking overnight to prepare tomorrow. Black-eyed peas are definitely it my top five.
I know! I would put it in a different category.
Just next level! Don’t even need anything on it! Nom nom nom
Nom nom nom for sure!!!!!
My favorite piece! I grew up with multigrain bread as well and I still love it. And miss it so much here in Japan. Not as easy to get. ✌🏼
Thank you Catherine! You’re right it is harder to get hearty multigrain bread here but I do also admit I absolutely love, maybe even too much, shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread)!